Average Joe
by DWAR
Summary: When a superhero can't find the moral flexibility to do what needs to be done, it falls to the innocent civilian to say that enough is enough. No superpowers, no awesome gadgets, just the will, and motivation to do what Batman should have done long ago.
1. Enough is Enough

Though he lacked both the physique, intelligence, and more importantly superhuman powers that many people had come to associate with the definition of a hero, John Dustin had nevertheless been content with the life style that came from being an average human being.

He had a steady job that was sufficient in maintaining his middle class lifestyle in the suburbs.

He and his high school sweet heart had enjoyed 15 years of a marriage that had, while lacking in excitement, was nevertheless filled with love.

And perhaps most importantly, his 10 year old daughter and 8 year old son had yet to enter that heartbreaking stage of adolescence when they believed that saying 'I love you' regularly and vocally was embarrassing.

Yes, it had been a perfectly acceptable life, and apart from the inevitable teenage rebellious stage, would have remained perfect for the rest of his days.

At least until he lost it all because of the machinations of a madman and vigilante.

When he first started to gain publicity, there had been some initial debate whether or not Batman was a positive influence on the citizens of Gotham. Yes he operated outside the law, but in doing so he managed to remove some of the more entrenched elements of the criminal underworld that had ruled the city for decades.

He still remembered the debates he had had with both his coworkers and his wife.

Having been raised within the city itself, though thankfully not in the more run down areas where the GPD rarely went into unless they had SWAT teams on standby, John had argued in favor of Batman's actions, stating that he had accomplished more in 6 weeks than the police force had accomplished in 3 years.

His wife Jean however, while agreeing with him on this point, had nevertheless expressed the concern that the actions of this well meaning vigilante would inevitably summon criminals who, like the Batman, operated on a set of rules that was entirely different from those that had preceded them.

And she was right.

Mad scientists with ice themed weapons or animal turning potions, delusional and violent psychopaths that used formerly comforting themes to inspire terror, these and more were what crawled out of the dark corners of society to challenge the man who dressed like a bat.

Of course he would always defeat them in the end, whether if it was by himself or with his every expanding list of allies, but sadly, such victories always proved to be temporary.

He was not a violent man by nature, but after hearing that these criminals were being sent for psychiatric help rather than facing the justice they deserved, he had started to wish that the Batman would visit the same fate on his enemies as they had visited on countless innocents.

But up until that day, he nevertheless acknowledged that the caped crusader was the only one capable of fighting those who lacked the moral decency to feel regret for their crimes.

That had all quickly changed however.

At the time, all of the major enemies of Batman had been locked up in that accursed asylum, so his wife had suggested that they and the kids spend the day exploring the safer elements of the city.

Since he had been swamped with work at the time, he had said that he would join them for dinner. And that had been the last time he had seen them alive.

He still remembered with bitter clarity that feeling of numbness when the news started reporting the latest escape of one of the more violent criminals of Arkham, which was soon followed by a phone call that instructed him to come down to the morgue to identify the bodies.

The ride down had been tough enough, but seeing the faces of his loved ones was worse. He had heard somewhere that a person is supposed to be wearing an expression of peace after death claimed them.

But like everything else he touched, the Joker had managed to make a mockery of tragedy.

After emptying the contents of his stomach at seeing the twisted frozen smiles of his family, the next few weeks passed in a blur until he had looked at the month's expenses.

While he had no problem paying for the funeral costs for his family, he had been surprised to see that every last penny had been returned to him by the funeral home.

It was only after he called to confirm the refund that everything seemed to snap into focus for him.

For he had been told that he, along with every other family that had lost a loved one that dreadful day, had their funeral arrangements paid by a mysterious benefactor.

And despite the fact that he had no way of confirming the identity of the individual who had covered the cost of laying his beloved wife and children in the ground, John knew that it had been the Batman.

Was this how the hero dealt with the guilt of constantly putting innocent lives in danger? By paying off the loved ones of those who lost their lives because he didn't have the balls to permanently finish off his enemies?

It was at that moment that he decided that if a superhero could not protect those who had no chance of fighting back against the villains of the world, then he as an average citizen would do so.

Of course he would have to be careful in preparing for the day of reckoning since he intended to deal justice to more than one deserving soul, but in this his averageness would prove to be the perfect cover.

No super powers.

No gadgets of any kind.

And since he had developed a bit of a gut since he turned 40, no tights.

All he would need would to accomplish his goal was time, a gun, and the right education.

Somethings which were frighteningly easy to obtain in this day and age.

**…. **

**Hello all.**

**The idea for this story came to me after reacquainting myself with not only the ongoing debate about Batman's no killing rule, and the plot line of Injustice where we see what happens if superheroes break this rule (Though I point out, and DON'T READ IF YOU HAVENT READ INJUSTICE YEAR 3, Batman does this in a dream sequence and actually shows how moral he is) but also the ending scene of Batman Begins.**

**Batman is my favorite superhero, but we all admit that his no killing rule sort of gets in the way of making sure that the world..or at least Gotham no longer NEEDS Batman. **

**So why can't he just simply let his villains die through inaction? Nolan verse Ra's Al'Ghul is a perfect example of him doing this. Or simply do what he did in the Dark Knight returns (i.e. permanently paralyze his enemies) **

**He doesn't have to prevent the Joker from falling into molten metal/lava (though falling from a great height into the ocean or into chemical vats doesn't seem to work XD). He doesn't have to save the Mad Hatter (who had just killed his Ukrainian girlfriend who had been told his 'secret identity') from drowning, and so on and so forth. **

**The White Knight arc touched on the fact that Batman has a fund to repair damage for his actions, so figured that a funeral fund was also in place.**

**Thus the concept for this story was born.**

**An average man with an average life, gets it all taken from him and decides enough is enough. No chemicals to turn him insane. And no superpowers**

**Will try to get back to this as soon as I can. Already have an idea of how to continue.**

**But until then, hope you all enjoyed this.**

**Plz Review. No flames. **


	2. Waddling for a Favor

Though he and his wife had always joked about using one of their date nights to visit the most glittering examples that proved that the justice system was flawed, they had never done so because one never knew who would be attending the night's festivities.

Despite his continued insistence that he was now a legitimate businessman, Oswald Cobblepot, better known as The Penguin, was still known the engage in the odd backrooms dealing. Which varied from providing the more morally lacking villains with firepower, though in recent years the Joker had been kicked off this list after melting the face of one of the waitresses with a acid spitting flower, to the more traditional style of gaining influence.

It was because of this influence that John had spent the last 6 weeks preparing for the chance to meet with the avian obsessed crime lord.

For while it was known that Penguin had the talent for being able to do fulfil almost any favor, it was also known that his services were far from cheap.

If you were a close associate, or held power to match his, then the individual would only have to focus on the terms of the deal they wished to see fulfilled.

But for a random civilian, one who lacked even the familial connection, no matter how distant, to criminal leaders, Penguin was quite insistent on making them pay for the pleasure of his company.

$5000 might be enough to have an appointment booked, but said appointment might run for only 2 minutes before the long nosed former criminal decided to move on to the next poor sap who came begging to him for help.

With this in mind, John had raised enough money, through the sale of his house and all but the most treasured of valuables left by his family, to not only pay what he deemed to be an appropriate appointment fee, but also enough to make Penguin treat him seriously.

Of course he had no idea for certain if the so called former criminal would fulfil his end of the bargain, but John believed that he would in fact walk away from his meeting with everything, or almost everything he wanted.

Cause in truth he wasn't asking that much, at least compared to other clients.

….

"Mister Dustin. Glad to see that you're a punctual sort. You wouldn't believe the amount of people I've come across who can't even bloody look at their damn watches to save their lives. Which is why I have that little policy of making them pay double my consultant fee even if their 2 minutes late. Anyways, I'm a busy man, and you've paid $5000 appointment fee, so what can I bloody well do for you"?

Doing his best not to feel too intimidated by slightly dismissive stare that was being sent his way, John gestured towards the bodyguard that was holding his brief case before answering the question.

"Actually Mr. Cobblepot, I came here today with triple the amount you usually charge. In hopes that I can have more of your time to tell you what it is I want from you".

Nodding his head in thanks as his briefcase was returned to him, and making sure that his movements were as unthreatening as possible as he reached into velvet lining of the gift he had received from both his children the previous Christmas, John took out a thick envelop and placed it directly in front of the man who controlled perhaps more than half of Gotham's underworld.

Flipping his stunted fingers through the thick wad of greenbacks, Penguin soon sported a smirk that was anything but comforting.

"Smart boy. Well since you appear to be willing to sacrifice a little bit more in order to extend your stay in my company, tell me, what can I do for you"?

Taking a moment to steel his resolve, for this would be the first step in avenging the lives of his family and countless others, John made his request.

"I want a job that only you can give me".

While he expected to have been meet with either a sneer or an outright dismal, the middle aged widower was lightly annoyed by the mocking laughter that greeted his request.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA. Is that it? Well can't fault you for wishing to join my crew, but I'm afraid that I have no current openings at the moment. Besides, what can a middle aged bugger like you do for me that some street rat isn't prepared to do for free"?

Chortling as a he took a deep gulp from his highly expensive liquor, Penguin's humor quickly gained a slightly threatening edge as he John proceeded to answer his question.

"Make your business work more smoothly perhaps"?

Slowly putting down the bottle, and positioning his hand over his collection of concealed weaponized umbrellas, Penguin's tone was filled with noticeably controlled rage as he posed another question to his potentially soon to be deceased client.

"And what makes you think that I need a middle aged imbecile like yourself interfering in my place of business? I've built my empire up from nothing, and have even managed to remain in business despite the insufferable interference from the Bat. So I ask you, and think carefully on your answer, why should I listen to a man who clearly has no idea how this city works"?

Though slightly unnerved by the almost feral expression that had come over the crime lord's face, John nevertheless kept his cool as he proceeded to list all the reasons why he should remain amongst the living.

"A couple of reasons Mr. Cobblepot. First one being that I made some preparations for today's meeting. If by some reason I fail to return home, and input a certain password into my computer, then by this time tomorrow, the entire city will know that I had an appointment with you today, and that I had somehow failed to come back from it. Secondly, I am quite prepared to pay an entire years salary of the job that I want as soon as I get the job, and another year's worth once I finish getting what I want. Which means that I am paying you for the privilege of having a job whose salary will be provided by City of Gotham. And lastly, but more importantly, the job I have in mind will put in a position where I can ensure that your…business practises suffer far less disruptions from the antics of those who lack the…. Vision/temperament for long term business dealings".

Rubbing his chin as he considered the validity of the reasons he had just been presented, though in truth the threat about the information leak was of no real concern since this was not the first time he had been threatened with such an easily dealt with issue, nor would it be the last, Penguin decided to first clarify the financial aspect of Mr. Dustin's reasoning before moving on to the third more attractive proposal.

"And just how much are we talking about here? If its only slightly more than your appointment fee, than I have a feeling that this meeting is at an end".

Nodding to show that he understood Penguin's terms, John proceeded to answer him.

"From what I've been able to gather from my research, the starting yearly salary for an entry level position is around $45,000. However, I believe it can go up to $60,000 for those willing to risk the more…hazardous conditions of the workplace".

Allowing a less than pleasant smile to cross his face, for he already had a suspicion of what it was the slightly balding man was asking, Penguin nevertheless felt the need to play with his desperate fish before reeling him in.

"And I suppose that you wish to be placed in the more prestigious section of your employment? I personally think that you're a fool for trading away your life for a measly 60 grand, but this business of mine doesn't exactly turn one into a seasoned psychiatrist. Still, I am feeling somewhat generous, so I'll make you a deal".

Slowly nodding his head to show that he was prepared to listen, even if he didn't know what would be asked of him, John remained silent as the avian looking crime lord listed his terms.

"While the entry fee will remain the same, I am willing to lower the cost of your..termination pay if you can prune some of the more stubborn thorns in my side. I'll even supply you with the necessary gardening tools to do it, so long as you 'prune' your work place as directed by me".

Smiling as John considered the terms of this rather generous deal, Penguin found his previous good humor returning as the middle aged man stuck out his hand.

"As long as you have no problem with the methods, and time it takes me to do so, we have a deal".

Chortling as he accepted the offered hand, Penguin shook it with a smirk that was more akin to a shark.

"Then let me be the first one to say this Mr. Dustin. Welcome to Arkham Asylum".

**…**

**Think this is a good place to end :D**

**Again, borrowing concepts from every aspect of the DC universe (at least that which existed in the past 3 decades) Cause lets face it, theres A LOT of info to cover XD.**

**Anyway, this scene was actually inspired by both the Penguin segment in the Arkham City comic (i.e. where Penguin talks about his past relationship with the clown), and the scene from Under the Red Hood where Black Mask is show to have the power to get the Joker out of Arkham. Figured that Penguin, who APPEARS to be more connected than the violent crime lord, would have the capabilities of infiltrating the Asylum, so that's the direction I took. And if not…well, if there is one that Gotham is, its corrupt. **

**Pleased to see that this story has already attracted much interest. And that the debate on the concept of Superhero being truly good for society continues to remain alive XD.**

**Especially liked that comment on how such people as Luthor (the more competent one at least) and Amanda Waller are actually better for society than either Superman or Batman. **

**I tend to favor the kill the villain approach, especially if they have proven INCAPABLE of being rehabilitated, but also recognize that killing one person makes it easier to kill more people. **

**Injustice is a perfect example of this. Though I believe that Injustice Superman would have been far better off if Injustice Wonderwoman wasn't such a Manipulative Bitch. Both Aquaman, Shazam, Martian Man Hunter, and the Flash had offered advice/acted as the conscious members of Superman's Regime (though Martian Manhunter was a Batman ally he still managed to almost get Superman to think straight), but Wonderwoman always spoke out against them, and maneuvered herself to be his most trusted advisor. And since she clearly likes the philosophy of peace at bayonet point, its no wonder that Superman turned out how he did. **

**Firmly believe that the Justice league 'Civil War' originated because she was secretly/subconsciously pissed that Supes chose the average (i.e. non super powered) female for his wife instead of an Amazon bombshell like her. **

**But I digress.**

**So in this story, revealed how my OC will enact the first stage of his plan.**

**Selling his house, and most of his valuables to get the funds needed to pay Penguin for what he wants. Which is to become a security guard at Arkham.**

**Will expand upon my vision next chapter XD.**

**But it falls under the reason why everyone loves Batman.**

**i.e. a man without superpowers, whose grief gives him the will power to do the impossible. Comics tend to ignore (at least when they aren't trying to create a new villain/hero) that the average person can also be traumatized enough to develop an insane amount of focus. **

**Anyways. Thanks for reading. PLZ review (no flames) And til next time. **


	3. The New Guy

Though Aaron Cash knew that most of his superiors, as well as the majority of Gotham's political elite, viewed him as a bumbling idiot, the truth of the matter was that his less than impressive record could be attributed to one thing, and one thing alone.

Lack of funding.

While Arkham's budget for security measures was substantial, especially with private donors like Bruce Wayne donating an annual amount of $90 million, most of it was used for either the construction of supposedly escape proof cells, or surveillance equipment that was designed to put even the most paranoid billionaire to shame.

Sadly, these so called improvements ensured that there was little to no funds for the most important aspect in keeping these criminal lunatics safely contained.

Security guards.

For as great as these systems were, they had regularly proven to be less than fool proof. And all because there wasn't enough boots on the ground to properly maintain it. Which meant that as soon as these monsters found a way to unlock their cages, which was simple to do since he didn't have enough guards to maintain a constant vigil over each and every violent nut job 24.7, they could escape without worrying too much about the efforts of the limited amount of guards.

At most, Arkham employed 20 full time guards, with an additional 12 serving in a part time role, and even then he only had 10 guards in total to look after the so called 'supervillains.

But since the high thinking quacks didn't want to pay more of their staff the bonuses that came with guarding the most violent criminals in Gotham's history, for no sane man would risk his life, and the lives of their families for a measly 45 grand, he was lucky if they replaced the guards he did lose.

But just because he was severely understaffed, that did not mean that he would just accept any application, rare though they may be, to work in the more dangerous sections of the asylum.

Especially when said application reeked of political favors.

True John Dustin was far from the arrogant, and lazy brats who believed that their money entitled them to some sort of perverse excitement, which, apart from mistaken medical curiosity was the only reason why anyone was happy to work at Arkham, but that didn't mean that he hadn't payed someone to get him the job.

He had been on the verge of rejecting the application on the grounds that he wasn't experienced enough when his supervisor, the latest in a long string of so called doctors who believed that their was something worth salvaging from those who had long since abandoned their humanity, decided to intervene on Dustin's behalf.

It had been an irritating experience, but in the end he had decided to give the middle aged man a week to see how he did, and for the most part he was pleased to see that his perceptions were wrong.

For while somewhat older than most of the other guards, he never complained about the strict regulations they had to follow, always performed his appointed task with a quiet competence, and most importantly, never allowed the rantings of the inmates to effect him.

Which was an admirable trait since more than once he had seen Gotham's lunatics, Joker chief amongst them, reduce the average human into a blubbering pile of weakness. And the less said about what they could do to those who were deceived into feeling sorry for them, the better.

There was something that bothered the head of Arkam's security though, and that was the way Dustin spent his free time going over the characteristics of each inmate.

This by itself wasn't necessarily a bad thing, since the more the rookie knew about the crazies the better prepared he would be, but Cash noticed that more time was spent researching one of their more troublesome inmates.

For the time being, he would keep an eye open to prevent the outbreak of another Quinn incident, but he doubted that was the case since unlike the doctor turned henchgirl, John Dustin's gaze never convey an ounce of sympathy during the rare times he had been seen talking with THAT particular inmate.

But since never once failed to follow the correct procedures when dealing with the deadly criminal, it was more than likely that Dustin's mind was his, and his alone.

Something which did little to settle his own unease that something was going on.

…

Though her connection to the green was largely muted during her occasional tenures in this temple to humanities failing attempt to enslave what they could not control, she could nevertheless still sense the lingering traces of organic life that clung to those who would keep her imprisoned.

Individually not enough to aid her in an escape attempt, but sufficient enough to construct a carefully concealed stockpile that would never be discovered due to the fact that its hiding place was in an area that men desired to have, but knew to carry only death for them if they should ever get close enough to her lethally luscious lips.

But since it would take another month or two before her seed was ready to bloom into the instrument of her salvation, Poison Ivy bided her time in her usual fashion.

Teasing those who allowed their mammalian instincts to cloud their judgement.

For though her skin had changed color to reflect her devotion to the natural beauty of mother earth, the shape of her womanly assets was usually more than enough to entice even the most disciplined of men.

And even then, her kiss could enslave any human being to her whims. Though there were two obvious exceptions to this, of which she was only pleased with one.

First one being the cute and loveable psycho whose only failing was her unwillingness to admit that the love of her life treated her with a disdain that he didn't even show to his mortal enemy.

And since she had no intention of getting THAT close to the Joker to put him under her spell, supposing of course his chemically induced insanity still made his neural pathways susceptible to lustful enslavement, he would never suffer the same fate as her previous thralls.

Currently, her interests were piqued by the latest addition to the ranks of Arkham's zookeepers, for his action's reminded her of yet another annoying mammalian thorn in her side.

For despite the initial flush of excitement at witnessing a woman of her charms, the middle aged guard, like the Batman, managed to keep his more base desires to himself.

Of course if he didn't wear that ever so clever filtration mask that kept her from using her pheromones, which could enslave even those male apes who preferred the comfort of their own gender, she was certain that he would bend over backwards to carry out her deepest wish.

Which in this case would be a violent death with his own hands.

For though her ability to control the rightful owners of this world were denied to her, she could nevertheless still sense when the lives of the innocent bounty of the land were crushed.

And for an entire week, she could sense that his hands where stained with the death of dozens of the unborn.

It was bad enough when loggers, or other industrialists destroyed those whose roots had already been long submerged within the life giving soil of the earth. But to deny life to the very things that began the process of renewal? That was a crime that deserved death.

However, John Dustin had at least earned a temporary reprieve from her righteous fury due to the growing suspicion that the continued presence of crushed _Malus ovules _meant that the balding guard was up to something very interesting.

Considering the amount of residue she sensed on his presence each time she walked past him, she calculated that he currently had more than enough to carry out his criminal activity.

And if his chosen victim was to her liking, she would hold her tongue when the Bat came to investigate.

For while he had no issue locking up his enemies in what was essentially hell on earth, he possessed the sickening morality to ensure their continued survival.

…

Though he knew that his quick slight of hand would remain undiscovered, for he had chosen to do it in the incredibly small blind spot that separated the cells and the less fortified sections of the asylum, John nevertheless felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest.

It might have been the fear of getting caught, for he knew that no plan was entirely fool proof, even if one went to such lengths as he did. Or it might have been because he realized that he was about to kill what had at one time been a human being.

Either way, as he approached the checkpoint that was intended to keep anything that could be used as a weapon from reaching the inmates, the former office worker managed to conceal his growing anxiety until he was cleared to pass.

The past week had been stressful, but he felt that he handled it well.

The inmates, being the depraved monsters that they were, had of course taunted the 'fresh meat' that dared to enter their prison, and his supervisor treated him with suspicion due to the fact that his position here had been 'arranged out of house', but thankfully he had managed to keep his composure.

As a newbie, he didn't have to deal with one of the men, if he could even be called that, responsible for killing his family until Cash deemed him sufficiently prepared to handle the madness that even imprisonment failed to mute. Which meant that he had plenty of time to not only get used to his new environment, but also plan for the death of one of the more bestial members of Arkham Asylum.

It had all been carefully planned so no one, except perhaps that plant loving woman, would suspect the method he had chosen to utilize.

It was rather simple really when one thought about it.

Each day, he would eat his lunch, and add 5-8 more pieces to the growing arsenal that he cleverly kept hidden in his lunch box. Of course to get the amounts he wanted, he would have to wait 33 days before his lunch time snack provided enough ammunition to build his digestible time bomb, but luckily, he was able to reduce this waiting period to 7 days by changing his diet at home.

In truth, he would have preferred to wait a bit longer, since it would probably look suspicious if an inmate died a mere week after a new guard came on duty, but since the method he had chosen wasn't immediate, it would be difficult to find any concrete proof connecting him with the crime.

Stopping the trolley until he was in front of his 4th destination for his scheduled delivery job, and ignoring the coldly murderous stare that was being directed at him by the heavily scarred serial killer, John Dustin silently shoved the Styrofoam bowl through the feeding slot and continued to give the inmates of Arkam Asylum their lunch.

All the while knowing that in the next few days, Victor Zsasz's name would appear in the same news column that he had spent years filling with innocent people.

The obituaries.

…

**ANNNNNNNND that's enough for now =)**

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**

**Next one will see the consequences of the 'Average Joe's Actions. So something too look forward too.**

**Reviews yes. Flames no.**

**Til next time. **


	4. Conflicted Feelings

Though he had long since accepted his father's rule regarding the use of lethal force against those who lacked anything resembling moral decency, Damian Wayne could not understand why his father was devoting his precious time in trying to uncover the cause of Zsasz's death.

Though he could understand why Gordon and Bullock were forced to investigate the death of a man whose mindless savagery was only surpassed by the likes of the Joker, though he could tell that Bullock wasn't putting much effort into maintaining the usual respect for a deceased person, why his father chose to give the dead serial killer the same dedication he would show to a murdered civilian continued to baffle the young side kick.

Something which his father easily picked up on.

"I realise that you have some conflicting feelings about this Robin, but you will have to set them aside for the time being. I trust that you will be able to treat this case, if not with liking, than at least with the same sort of professionalism that you would show to less….morally corrupted victims".

Scowling at his inability to keep his less 'professional' emotions in check, a lesson that funnily enough had been drilled in to him by both of his parents, Damian nevertheless nodded his head as he listened to Gotham's Police Commissioner go over the details they already knew.

"None of the security cameras have managed to pick up anything suspicious. Zsasz had no visitors, was never allowed to interact with other inmates, and had always been supervised by 5 guards whenever he was allowed out of his cell. Far as I can see, this simply might have been caused by some sort of medical anomaly".

Though he was forced to keep his opinions to himself lest he risk his father's disapproval, the young Wayne allowed a small smirk to appear on his face as he heard Bullock's reply to Gordon's theory.

"More like divine justice if you ask me. Took long enough, but I think the Almighty finally decided to step in before the freak could add another 'notch' to his belt".

Fighting the urge to nod his head in agreement, Damian resumed his slightly bank expression as his father turned towards the fedora wearing detective.

"I assure you Detective Bullock, God had nothing to do with this. However, it is highly possible that the culprit is someone who believes they are doing God's work".

Thinking back to his own past experience with such an individual, though Lewis Bayard, aka the White Knight, had first chosen to go after the families of criminals before trying to wipe out the criminals themselves, Damian had to agree with his father's reasoning.

"I'll need a copy of the medical report to give me a better understanding of what caused Zsasz's death. However, in order to prevent this from escalating, I want you to do whatever you can to prevent the news from reporting this. It's possible that the killer is seeking recognition for their acts".

"Remind you of anyone"?

Though he too shot the cynical detective a glare, one that he believed was finally developing into an equal match for his father's, Damian couldn't help but feel that Bullock's comment, while unwanted, was nevertheless important to consider since it WAS possible that this was the beginning of one of the Clown's schemes.

However, if his father recognized this, he gave no sign.

"If the killer's intention is not solely driven by a heavily misguided sense of justice, then it is highly possible that they will try this again, with less attention paid towards secrecy. This will hopefully allow us to act before they can try again, though it is possible that we may be too late in preventing another victim from occurring".

Agreeing with his father's reasoning, though a part of him, the one that preferred his mother's teaching of justice, wished for the murderer to get away with 'removing' a similar stain on Gotham before being caught, Damian mentally went through a list of all the viable suspects that could get away with murdering someone without being caught on camera.

The Joker as always was at the top of this list, for his insanity was only matched by his creativity. But he wasn't the only one who could have done this, though perhaps he was the only one to do it for the sake of amusement.

The Red Hood was also a suspect, but not a serious one. If it had been the Joker, then Damian would have more reason to suspect the second Robin. But since it wasn't Jason Todd was low on his list of suspects.

Mad Hatter, Clayface, and Poison Ivy could also have been the ones to do it since they had a track record of killing people from a distance. Though usually they preferred to be as close to their victims as possible.

And any of the staff could have done it, for they would have had access to Zsasz's cell, as well as the security system. Not to mention the fact that they could be bribed to let in a murderer just as easily as they could be bribed to keep these monsters from answering for their crimes.

He was certain his father would get to the bottom of this, for there had never been a case that he had been unable to solve, even if there were occasions where he was prevented from sending the culprits where they belonged.

The only question remaining was who would the criminal killer target next.

…

He had done it.

The middle aged bugger had actually done it.

It didn't matter that Zsasz had only been a moderate annoyance to his operations, either by killing his street workers or causing the police to temporarily increase their presence in the areas in which his less reputable customers sought to do business. The fact remained that John Dustin had actually managed to do what he said he would do.

The only problem was, his first bit of murder had attracted the unwanted attention of the Bat. Which meant that sooner or later, Mr. Dustin, a man who lacked the resources of Batman's more established adversaries, would have his personal crusade brought to an end.

Something which would unfortunately clash with his plans to expand his influence throughout Gotham City. For the more unstable personalities that could be removed, the better off his empire would be.

Of course he wouldn't lift so much as a finger to help the middle aged widower out of trouble once he was caught, except perhaps to permanently silence him so that his connection could never be discovered, but perhaps he could do something to increase the amount of time John Dustin spent on his mission.

Problem was, what would be the best way to go about this.

Thanks to his informant at Arkham, one of those quacks who recognized the value of keeping certain criminal associates from ever having their day in court, Penguin had learned that the facility was to keep Zsasz's death from being leaked to the news, which provided the question of whether he wished for the next death to remain similarly under wraps, or to be made more public.

Personally he preferred the first option since it fit better with his management style, but he could not entirely discredit the second option due to the possibility of using this situation to turn the public against not only Batman, but his allies as well.

He would hold off on making a decision until Dustin gave him a clue on who his next target would be.

For if he chose to go after someone whose body count wasn't even in double digits, the resulting death would hardly draw notice from anyone except Batman.

If however he went after one of the more heavy hitters, one who could claim at least 40 bodies to their name, then it might be prudent to provide some much needed aid.

For if there was one thing he had learned as his time in Gotham, it was that using the same trick over and over again could eventually get oneself caught.

And since his tenure as successfully 'businessman' rested on the ability to adapt to an ever changing situation, it was safe to say that he knew what he was talking about.

…..

**Will end this here for now.**

**Sorry for the delay/shortness of the chapter, been busy XD. Hopefully this makes up for it.**

**Will respond to comments/suggestions/reviews later. You have my word as a fanfic author XD.**


	5. New Plans

Though he had expected to receive some sort of acknowledgement from the man responsible for his appointment to the symbol of Gotham's inability to save itself, John Dustin was still surprised by the contents of Penguin's email.

For while he had expected the avian obsessed crime lord to applaud his efforts in a manner that couldn't be traced back to him, case in point being that he had used an obviously fake, and probably nigh intractable email address to send him a message, the middle aged widower was caught off guard by the unmistakable order that was otherwise hidden in the message.

_Dear John._

_We're all happy with the progress you've made during the initial stages of your therapy. And we hope that you continue to receive the help in recovering from what is understandably a...unpleasant time in your life._

_You've already taken the important step by acknowledging you not only need help, but that you have to do most of the work yourself. So to that end, I will provide you with some advice on what you can do next._

_When you feel that your beginning strain under the stress of your circumstances, the best thing to do is sit down and have a cup of tea. _

_I'm sure that one of your... group members would tell you the same thing, but in case they don't, just wanted to alert you to that fact._

_Anyways, hope your week will be as successful as the last. But keep in mind to take things slowly. Always found that one's progress can be set back if you don't take the time to consider all the angles of your plan._

_Sincerely Robin Blackbird._

Of course that email had deleted itself as soon as he read it, but he understood what Penguin was getting at.

He was pleased with the death of ZSASZ, and wanted his next target to be someone whose craziness was perhaps as dangerous as the Clown Prince of Crime.

Which meant that he would have to do some thinking on how to best remove the man, if he could even be called that anymore, in a way that didn't cast any suspicion on himself.

For his actions had already attracted the interest of the ineffective child endangering vigilante. And since he wanted to destroy as many monsters as possible before he got caught, preferably after he had avenged his family, he would have to tread very carefully.

Which is why he would seek help from perhaps the only lunatic in Arkham who could not only help him achieve his aims, but could also perhaps be willing to accept the blame for his actions.

The problem was, what was the best way to go about getting their help without drawing the suspicion of the Bat?

...

Humming a tune that many would be shocked to hear coming from a violent lunatic, though her mental facilities were far above those who described her as such, the red haired villainess barely looked up from her gardening magazine as she addressed the man who had begun to prune Arkham of its most diseased growths.

"Well well well. Look who it is. The new guy. Got any apples today? Gotta be careful. While it is true what they say about keeping the doctor at bay, I doubt its valid if you over indulge. Especially if you accidental consume the seeds".

Smiling as her words caused the new prison guard to halt his movements, Ivy rolled her eyes as the murderous mammal did what most males did when caught with something they had tried to keep secret.

Act like nothings wrong.

"Is that a fact Doctor Isley? Well, I'll make sure to stick to one a day then".

Laughing at the man's attempt to appear ignorant, though she noted that he acted like he had expected this conversation to happen, the red haired villainess quickly sported a smirk as she proceeded to let him know that she knew what he was up to.

"Oh I don't think you have the stamina…or the balls, to repeat your actions more than once a week. Especially since using the same methods might result in you taking some time off at Blackgate".

Having expected the man to either angrily deny the accusation, or just walk away, Poison Ivy found herself surprised by the response she received.

"Which is why I thought it best to seek the advise of someone with both the intelligence and track record I need to ensure my success. Especially since I suspect they may be tempted by what I have to offer in return".

Eye's narrowing in suspicion, for this was not the first time men had sought to flatter her, Ivy kept her tone flat as she sought to clarify what she could benefit from this gender flipped version of Silence of the Lambs.

"And what can a man like you possibly offer a woman like me"?

And with a smile that was sincere, albeit on the blood thirsty side, John Dustin told her.

…..

Though his current stay in these dreadful facilities ensured he lacked access to his preferred brands of relaxation, the diminutive man nevertheless looked forward to the part of the day when his jailers rewarded him for his 'good' behavior.

Of course they would never trust him with the materials to concoct his own liquid creation, and ruined the flavor by using styrofoam cups instead of proper china, but in Akrham, beggars couldn't be choosers.

But instead of being comforted/disgusted by the first sip of the hot liquid his jailers insultingly enough called tea, the violent criminal, for the first time in what felt like decades, felt a degree of clarity that most had assumed to be impossible for a man like him.

However, this new feeling of sanity came with a cost.

For the first time since he had undergone his 'transformation', he experienced an emotion that greatly surpassed his disappointments in failing to recreate that special day.

Hundreds, if not thousands of innocent lives had been ruined, if not outright lost, because of his inability to accept that he would never be like anyone else. And thousands more remained at risk so long as child sized body continued to draw breath.

Knowing that his new sense of guilt could vanish at any moment, which would result in him continuing his madness once he escaped the confines of this woefully inadequate facility, the theme obsessed villain waited for the guard to leave before frantically embarking on his quest to find redemption.

For while the staff at Arkham had done what they could to ensure that their…guests couldn't escape down the one venue that was beyond even the Bat's ability to pursue, they had a tendency to underestimate the creativity of their more driven patients.

Something which he intended to prove once again.

Albeit in a manner that no one could have predicted.

And the last thing Jervis Tetch thought before taking that final step into oblivion, was that his death would result in the following headline.

MAD HATTER FINALLY FINDS THE RIGHT RABBIT HOLE

…

**ANNNNNND that's done. Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter. Took a while to find the right motivation/character to have as my next 'victim' but pleased with how it turned out.**

**Must admit, the Mad Hatter wasn't orginally going to be the second choice, but after re-reading the story where he kills one of the few women in Batman's life who he geniuely likes/revealed his secret to (The Ukranian Pianist) felt the need to bump him off.**

**Also, pleased to see that I am not the only author on this site who has a simmilar idea regarding 'Superhero' justice. Highly urge you all to read the Venom (2018 film) story where he forms his own crew XD.**

**And just as a warning, at this point, don't feel like bumping off the joker, at least for a while. Recently saw the new film, and gotta say, it makes you feel for the guy. Much more than the killing joke since it is much worse than 'A single bad day can change your life'. So for now, the Joker isnt going to be harmed anytime soon til my emotional state gets over that film XD.**

**Anyway, please review. No flames. **

**Til next time.**


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